Each month there are one or more coaching calls; this is a recording of the session on January 31, 2013January – June 2013
ArchiCAD Training – Coaching Call – January 31, 2013
| Thank you for visiting the Best Practices Course website. The video lessons are available for members only. If you are an active member and would like to watch the ArchiCAD training video on this page, please login to the website. If you are not currently a member, please visit the following pages for more information and to sign up for the Best Practices Course, the QuickStart Course or for the Best Practices ArchiCAD Coaching Program. Eric Bobrow, Creator of the Best Practices Course |
ArchiCAD Training Session Notes
| QUESTION | ANSWER SUMMARY AND NOTES | START TIME |
| Is there a command that converts text to polygons that can then be extruded for 3d signs? | There is an object in the ArchiCAD library that does precisely this task, open up the object tool, and in the search query line type in the word “text 3d”. There are controls for the font type and size, Eric goes through these and other settings including rotation and making the text show in the 2d window. Note: to see and read the text in 2d you would have to set the rotation to zero (i.e. set the text flat) and – open up the 3d text settings>parameters>2d representation>show view in 2d. | 0:02:49 |
| Turning 3d text into linework and applying effects. | Eric then shows you how to turn the 3d text into linework (in the 2d plan window) edit>reshape>explode into current view. Eric did this to illustrate that you can now put some special effects into the 2d text linework e.g. put a gradient fill into it. | 0:07:30 |
| Carving a sign using text and the slab tool. | Another useful trick that Eric demonstrates is carving a sign using a slab, 3d text and solid element operations. | 0:10:25 |
| Rotating an entire project that contains a building of several stories | The lady caller was correctly drawing a thick marquee (the marquee that selects all the stories including above and below the seen story) around the building and elevation markers, but then she went to edit>select all in marquee, and by doing this the lady caller was making a mistake. This is because everything in view now had a handle, but everything not in view didn’t and thus couldn’t be rotated (so the unseen stories now couldn’t be rotated). All you need to do to rotate everything is surround everything (buildings and elevation markers etc) with the thick marquee and then go to edit>move>rotate. | 0:13:30 |
| Using solid element operations on ArchiCAD objects | To demonstrate how to do this Eric turns a full basketball court into half a basketball court (in 3d view). Unfortunately, the solid element operations won’t work in the 2d view, so you will need to cover up the part of work that you don’t want to be seen in the 2d view with a fill. Eric goes through what to do. | 0:20:29 |
| Eric takes an ArchiCAD fireplace and turns it into a morph (only available in ArchiCAD 16 and above) for the purpose of making subtle changes to its style. To do this right mouse click on the selected element>convert selection to a morph. The beauty of turning it into a morph is you can now change the shape and material on any face of the object. | 0:30:00 | |
| Problem with not being able to select objects with the arrow tool | If you have been working with the direct selection arrow (the white arrow that selects an individual face or material when using morphs) with the morph tool, and you now want to work with a different object that is not a morph make sure that you change the selection arrow back to the normal (black) arrow tool. When you have done this you should be able to select anything that you want. | 0:37:38 |
| Issue with building elements not connecting when the model is switched to core view only | Eric uses the complex profile tool and then solid element operations to make everything connect and then clean everything up. To use the complex profile tool – select the building element that you need to change so that it can connect with another element>right click on it and then select capture profile of selection>make the necessary changes and then save it>then put this altered building element into your project. If anything needs to be cleaned up you can use the solid element operations to do this. Eric demonstrates all the procedures necessary. | 0:39:00 |
| How to create a timber-frame wall assembly (composite) | First Eric goes to options>element attributes>composites and here he creates the timber-framed rendered brick external wall. Eric then explains how to set every material to either core, finish or other. Eric then shows how to move the reference line so it lies on the wall core. Finally, Eric shows a workaround for anyone who needs to show the wall studs in plan view – Eric just uses the column tool to achieve this effect. | 0:47:57 |
| There is actually a wall framing tool in ArchiCAD, but to access this you need to go to ArchiCAD’s download page (help>archicad downloads) and download the addon “accessories” and install it on your computer then go – design>design extras>accessories>wall accessories. This tool does a very basic job and for sophisticated work you may want to try a specialized product such as the one produced by “cadimage”. | ||
| If you are unsure what composite materials your walls are going to be made of, then you can insert a wall with a blank composite infill (made to the correct thickness) and go back and fill it in when you decide on the composite materials | Eric goes through the process of doing this. Some jobs you or the client may be undecided on the wall type and materials, and at least by doing this you can make a start on the building. | 1:09:40 |
| General discussion about fills and the attribute manager | Many points discussed | 1:17:15 |
| How to bring in and make best use of a detail dwg sheet showing various details of windows | Eric shows how to bring in the sheet, how to crop it and how to explode the drawing. Eric does some basic editing and changes the dimensions to round up to the nearest sixteenth rather than to the nearest quarter that it had been previously set to – to do this go to options>projectpreferences>dimensions. Eric also has a discussion about layers and the options of bringing in all the dwg’s layers or not (if you don’t bring all the dwg layers in, then all the layers will be bundled together as one entity on the ArchiCAD layer that it was brought in on) | 1:35:23 |
| How to make ceiling lines and elevation markers show up in red on a black and white pdf print out | Eric describes how to do this effect. Eric also describes how pens sets work and the drawing and elevation settings. | 1:52:42 |
ArchiCAD Training – Coaching Call – January 31, 2013
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